Bottom structure for bessemer converters



Y Dec. 21, 1948.

E. E. SLlCK STRUCTURE FOR BES S EMER BOTTOM Filed Oct. l 6, 1944 CONVERTERS 3 Sheets-Sheet l INV'ENTOR De-.`2`1,1948. E. EjsUcK 2,456,798

BOTTOM STRUCTURE FOR BESSEMER CONVERTERS Filed Oct. e) 1944 s sheets-sheet 2 Jigs.

INVENTOR du/m3. Sud.: Y

Dec. 21, 1948. E. E. sLlcK BOTTOM STRUCTURE FOR BESSEMER CONVERTERS 5 sheets-sheet s l Filed 006. 6, 1944 Patented Dec. Z1, 1948 UNITED vSTATES PATENT OFFICE BOTTOM STRUCTURE FOR BESSEMER CONVERTERS 15 Claims.

This invention relates to Bessemer converters and is for an improved bottom construction for such converters.

As is Well known to those skilled in the art, a Bessemer` co-nverter comprises a refractory lined vessel having a separate bottom structure. The bottom structure is provided with a metal ring or annulus, the interior of which constitutes a blast box. Above the blast box is a perforate metal plate on which are set a number of tuyre blocks that are scattered over the bottom, these tuyre blocks being circular in cross section and having a plurality of small holes extending axially therethrough. Refractory material is tampe-d in around the tuyre blocks to substantially the full height of the -tuyre blocks. Thus there is formed a plug or lining for the bo-ttom of the converter having a plurality of tuyre blocks therethrough, the tuyre blocks being embedded in refractory, and serving to carry the blast from the blast box under the refractory bottom into the vessel. The bottom structure thus described is usually formed within an outwardly flared shell or ring and the peripheral area around the bottom is filled with ganister.

Converter bottoms as thus constructed disintegrate more or less rapidly. Because of the amount of labor required in setting the tuyre blocks and tamping the refractory in around them, the replacement of the bottoms is an expensive and laborious operation. One factor contributing to the rapid destruction of the bottom arises from the charging of the converter with heavy pieces of scrap before the molten metal is introduced to start the blow. Heavy pieces of scrap metal are dumped or thrown into the converter. These not infrequently hit the upper ends of the tuyres, and the tuyres, because of the number of small holes passing therethrough, are relatively fragile and easily broken. The breaking away of the tops of the tuyre lends to the rapid erosion and spalling of the surrounding refractory, and as the bottom becomes increasingly uneven, the likelihood of the tuyres being broken increases. Moreover, the refractory body around the tuyres is not uniformly burned, tending to spall olf or break away.

The present invention has for its object to provide an improved bottom for converters in which the tuyres are eliminated and in which the bottom is formed of brick which can be easily removed and replaced. Moreover, it is superior because the bricks being burned before being put into the bottom, are not subject to shrinkage or vto such rapid disintegration. This construction not only reduces the labor and ytime required for relining the bottom, but it provides a bottom which is less likely to be damaged when scrap is charged into the converter. Provision is made for the passage of air through the bottom preferably by the formation of channels in the faces of the bricks. These channels eliminate the necessity for the forming of small holes in the body of the bricks, providing a structure which is both cheaper to produce and which, because of the smooth character ofthe surfaces of the channels, offers less resistance .to the .flow of air therethrough. Provision is also made for interlocking the bottoms of the bricks with a supporting metal plate at the top of the blast box, thus holding the bricks in place.

My invention may be more fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig, 1 represents a transverse vertical section through the lower vportion of a converter having the bottom thereof constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section in substantially the plane of line II--II of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the metal plate on which the bottom is constructed, but Without the rails being shown;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section in the plane of line IV--IV of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of one of the locking strips or rails; n

Fig. `6 is a front `elevation of one of the channeled bricks;

Fi. 7 is a side elevation of the brick shown in Fig.

Fig. 8 is a top plan view thereof; and

Fig. 9 is .an elevation of a complementary brick which is not grooved or channeled.

Referring first to Figs. l and 2, A designates the upper part of the converter which is conventional, and which forms no part of the present invention. The bottom 4of the converter is designated generally as B. It comprises a heavy metal ring 2 having an upper portion 3 of increased diameter, which provides an internal annular ledge at 4. Secured to the top of the portion 3 of the ring is an outwardly flared ring 5, this construction being generally employed at the present time.

According to the present invention there is provided a heavy metal plate t which sets on the internal ledge 4, and which is provided, as best shown in Figs, 3 and 4, with parallel equidistantly .spaced rows of regularly spaced slots, these slots being designated l. Secured to the top of the plate 6 along and between the several rows of slots are parallel rails 8. As shown in Fig. 5, these rails may be conveniently secured to the plate by having threaded studs 9 welded thereto, the studs passing through holes in the plates 6 and having nuts on the lower ends thereof for rmly clamp ing the rails in position on the plate. i

The plate serves to support a plurality of rows of refractory bricks, these rows of bricks being ldesignated generally as Ill, and each row of bricks contains two different sets of bricks, the bricks of one set having channels in one face thereof, and the bricks of the other set having entirely smooth faces.

The bricks which have channels in the faces thereof are designated generally as Il, and arev shown in detail in Figs. 6, 7 and 8. These bricks are generally rectangular in section, and are much higher than they are in width or length. They are provided at the bottom on each side edge thereof with a cut out portion providing a notch I2, a lug I3, and a recess I4, which cut out portion conforms approximately to the shape of half of one of the rails 8, the notches I 2 being adapted to interlock with'the heads of the rails; the cut away portions vIii resting on the base of the rails, and the parts I3 bear against the webs of the rails. One side face of the block is smooth and flat. The other side face is pressed to provide one or more, preferably two, shallow channels I5 therein. As best shown in Fig. 7, the lower portions I5 of these channels preferably increases or tapers in depth.

The other blocks in the row are designated generally as II". They are similar in all respects to the blocks Il, except that they do not have the channels in one face thereof, the blocks being a complete rectangle in horizontal section.` They are, however, cut away at their lower ends the same as the blocks II to interlock the rails, and these cut away portions have been indicated with the same reference numerals.

The dimensions of the blocks or bricks are corelated to the spacing of the slots 1 so that when a row of blocks or bricks is fitted into place along the rails and interlocked with the rails, the lower end of the channels I5 in the blocks I I will register with the slot-s 1, the rails of course preventing the rows of bricks from shifting sideways. The grooved faces of the blocks IIk are placed against the flat or smooth surface of the next adjacent block, so as to provide in this way vertical air passages.

The air passages are desired only over the f central area of the bottom so that the grooved bricks I I are used only where air passages are to be provided to register with the slots 1. Elsewhere over the bottom the smooth bricks II are used to ll out the rows.

The bricks can be applied to the plate 6 before the plate 6 is set into ythe bottom structure of the converter. The bricks are all tightly pressed together. After they have been arranged on the bottom plate, the plate 6 can be assembled into with the plate 6, they cannot iloat or be blown out. The refractory bricks can be replaced from time to time if necessary with very little labor, and because of the absence of small holes such as are needed in present tuyre-blocks, the bottom is, less likely to be broken when heavy scrap is charged into the converter. Moreover, as previously indicated the provision of a bottom formed substantially entirely of bricks, is not subject to shrinkage, is uniformly fired because of the bricks being individually burned, and presents a more lasting bottom than is provided by tamped refractory. Also the invention enables the air openings to be more evenly distributed over the bottom of the converter than where conventional tuyres are used.

It will be understood that in the operation of the converter, air under presure is blown into the space provided inside the ring 2 under the plate 6, there being a bottom cover, not shown, for the blast chamber. This air passes up through Vthe slots 'I and through the passageways provided by the channels I5, discharging into the interior of the converter. Whereas tuyre blocks a-s heretofore constructed, have had small holes formed therein, which holes are apt to be rough, due to the fact that they are formed by molding the green clay about metal rods which are subsequently withdrawn from the clay, such holes oifer considerable frictional resistance to the passage of air therethrough, while the channels I5 in the faces of the block can be formed by surfaces in the brick mold and hence are smooth and denseY and thus offer less resistance to the air stream. Moreover the taper I5 in the depth of the lower ends of the channels enables the air to more freely ow into the passageways provided by the channels between the bricks.

While, as above indicated, I prefer to provide the air passages by forming channels in one face of the bricks II, many of the structural advantages of my invention may be secured by using bricks having air passages therethrough, orotherwise arranged for the passage of air therethrough, and such other bricks are not excluded from the broad scope of my invention.

While I have shown and described the use of rails for interlocking the blocks to the supporting plate, it will be understood that this is a present preferred construction, and that various other means may be provided for holding the blocks in place, and that various other changes and modifications may be made in the specific con-struction and arrangement of the parts within the contemplation of my invention and within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A converter bottom comprising a metal supporting plate having a plurality of rows of openings therein, a plurality of contiguous rows of bricks standing on end with their edges in contacting relation resting on the top of the plate, the bricks extending along and over the rows of openings, some of the bricks providing passageways through the brick work which register with the openings in the plate, and interitting means on the top of the plate for. holding the bricks on the plate, said intertting means comprisingrails whose flanged portions t into grooves formed on the side edges of the smaller dimensions of the bricks.

2. A converter bottom comprised of a plurality of bricks arranged in rows, some of said bricks rbeing provided with vertical channels in one of between adjacent bricks, and a supporting plate on which the bricks are secured, the supporting plate having openings therein which register with the passageways between bricks.

3. A converter bottom comprising a plurality of substantially rectangular bricks arranged in parallel rows, means providing vertical air passages between the opposed surfaces of some of the bricks, a supporting plate to which the bricks are secured and upon which they rest, the supporting plate having openings therethrough communicating with the said vertical passages between the bricks.

4. A converter bottom comprising a plurality of substantially rectangular bricks arranged in parallel rows, means providing vertical air passages between the opposed surfaces of some of the bricks, a supporting plate to which the bricks are secured and upon which they rest, the supporting plate having openings therethrough communicating with the said vertical passages between the bricks, the plate and the bricks having intertted portions for securing the bricks to the plate.

5. A converter bottom comprising a metal supporting plate having parallel rows of slots therein, and parallel rows of bricks on the plate over the rows of slots, said bricks being shaped to provide air passages between the opposed faces of certain adjacent bricks, which passages register with the slots in the plate, and means for attaching the bricks to the plate.

6. A converter bottom comprising a metal supporting plate having a plurality of slots therein, bricks over the surface of the plate in face-toface and edge-to-edge relation, some of the bricks having vertically extending channels in one vertical surface thereof, whereby to provide air pas-I sages between adjacent bricks, the said air passages registering with the slots in the plate, and means for anchoring the bricks to the plate.

7. A blast furnace bottom comprising a metal supporting plate having parallel rows of slots therein, parallel members on the plate having overhanging head portions, said members being arranged between the rows of slots, rows of bricks on the plate, the bricks having notched lower ends to engage and interlock with the overhanging head portions of said members on the plate, some of the bricks having channels in one of the faces thereof whereby to provide vertical passageways between adjacent bricks, the said passageways registering `with the slots in the plate.

8. A brick for converter bottoms formed of refractory7 material, said brick being generally r rectangular in horizontal cross section, means at the lower end of the brick for intertting engagement with a supporting means, the brick having a shallow channel extending vertically down on face thereof.

9. A brick for converter bottoms comprising a refractory body of generally rectangular horizontal cross section and having a height greater than its length or width, one face of the brick having a shallow channel extending from the top to the bottom thereof, and means at the lower end of the brick for securing it to a supporting structure.

10. A brick for converter bottoms comprising a refractory body of generally rectangular horizontal cross section and having a height greater than its length or width, one face of the brick having a shallow channel extending from the top to the bottom thereof, all of the other faces of the brick being flat, and means at the lower end of the brick for securing it to a supporting structure.

11. A brick for converter bottoms comprising a refractory body of generally rectangular hori- Zontal cross section and having a height greater than its length or width, one face of the brick having a shallow channel extending from the top to the bottom thereof, the said channel being deeper near the lower end of the brick than at the top thereof, all of the other faces of the brick being flat, and means at the lower end of th brick for securing it to a supporting structure.

12. A converter bottom comprising a metal supporting plate having openings therein, brickwork covering the plate around the openings and formed of notched bricks arranged in contacting relation, the brick work having air passageways formed therein to register with the openings in the plate, and intertting means on the top of the plate and having flanged portions which it into notches formed in the contacting side edges of the bricks for holding the bricks on the plate.

13. A converter bottom comprising a plurality of bricks arranged edge to edge in rows, a supporting plate on which the rows of bricks are set, means on the top of the plate for locking the bricks in position on the plate, said means comprising rails securely fastened to the plate and whose laterally extending ange portions fit into notches formed on the side edges of the bricks, there being air passages through the plate and the bricks.

14. A converter bottom comprising a metal plate having a plurality of openings therein, a refractory body on the plate comprised of a plurality of contiguous rows of notched bricks standing on end on the top of the metal plate with their edges in contacting relation the notches being formed in the edges of the bricks, means on the top of the plate interlocked with the notches in the bricks for holding the bricks in place, and means in the bricks providing air passages communicating with the openings in the plate for the passage of air through the bottom.

15. A converter bottom comprising a layer of .brickwork formed of a plurality of bricks arranged in parallel rows, a supporting plate on which the bricks are set, parallel headed rail elements on the plate, the bricks constituting the brickwork being notched on the side faces thereof near their lower ends for interlocking engagement `with said rail elements, the rows of bricks having openings therethrough which register with openings in the plate for the passage of -air through the brickwork.

EDWIN E. SLICK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 193,949 Haws Aug. '7, 1877 289,308 Rittweger Nov. 27, 1883 

